Value

I thought over my concept of value last weekend. To judge value would be a demand from my existence which has a nature to do judgment of value. We can't escape from the nature. We all always come under pressure to judge consciously or unconsciously.



Myself is not a creature made by myself. Myself is as if vehicle or media where values stay and pass on. Values are changeable. Often I don't notice about the change. I change before I notice often.



Actor is not the actor. We all are a passive product. Myself always fail to grasp myself. The reason would be that we are not one's self.



According to a anatomist, our conscious mind is an adjust function of human animal. The actor is brain and we exist only for adjusting ourself. Therefore, myself is not myself, myself which we thought myself is just an adjust function, not myself. Brain needed adjust function like us. At least, myself we call is not myself in that regard. Ourconscious mind accepts ex post information always. The lord is brain, not myself in that regard.



Person theory would break down in future if what the anatomist said was true. Slavoj Žižek said that even though we don't know about what we are, future, affair etc, we have to judge and decision about something always and we have to take responsibility. It is sure what many people regard as ideal has much problem.



Whatever we are, I have to decision and am forced to judge consciously or unconsciously, even though I don't know what I am.



When I noticed that my value has changed, I was where far from I used to be. I hope I come back to where I used to be. But circumstance may not allow me to back. Before I know, I've done a kind of wrong Copernican Revolution. I know it is not a value where I can't be happy. I know the answer. Though,,,



Anyway, at first I have to watch Pirate of Caribbean at world's end.



It is a photo of 広目天 of Todaiji temple in old-capital Nara, One of masterworks in Japan. I for got the spelling of it in English. I guess it is "Virpaksa".

i-Phone etc.

Did you take i-Phone? Unfortunately, I can't buy it. Even though Apple sell it in some Asian countries, They don't put the iPhone on the Japanese market. I don't know the why.



You know, I bought an iPod-nano several weeks ago. I think this one is a quite nice product. Very comfortable. I can put it in my breast pocket because it is very thin. Also I use it as flashlight. The light outshine my cell phone and small. Now I saw my cell phone, I found that mine is made by Toshiba. This one is also nice but I want an i-Phone.



I think i-Phone has an problem that it is very big, and seems it is a little too heavy to carry it to use as a phone. I may need to wait Apple to sell i-Phone nano. Might be they develop i-Phone-shuffle which call to someone at random. :-)



Also in Japan, i-Phone like products are on the market already. But those are also heavy and too big as well as in other countries. I want high tech companies to make accordion organic EL display. I think it would be a popular seller.



I admire that Apple introduced i-Phone very well. Much the same products become a newer product by Apple always.



My cell phone is one of "au" which is a second largest cell phone company in Japan. The largest is NTT Docomo. Now Soft Bank, this company is the owner company of Yahoo, cell cell phones which includes function of i-pod. But Soft Bank's cell phones are poor made. Sometimes It takes 2 days or more to arrive an email to someone. So, if Soft Bank receives dealership from Apple, I can't use i-phone. I guess Apple are negotiating with other companies in Japan. I hope so.



I wrote above sentences 2 days ago. Today SONY announced that they started to develop accordion organic EL display. But I want it of i-Phone.



These days I was very busy. But I read two books about Warren Buffet. I think he is a very magnetic person. He donates much money for society. In Japan, there is no such rich person. Most rich man has about 200 billion dollars or so at max. Mr. Buffett has 7 trillion dollars. If I had such big cash, I would be a crazy man. But he lives and enjoys in a common house. He is a very rare person. I think he knows what he should do.



Well, I have to study English this weekend. The more I study, the more I gradually understand what news reporters say in English. I can got what they say in most case. But it is still hard to recognize what Larry King says. His pronounce is a bit difficult to recognize and most of issues are very domestic. Non-western English speaker's pronounce is also difficult to understand. Also English in Japanese pronounce is difficult to understand. :-)



Now I am listening to John Coltrane's "A LOVE SUPREME". This one is very good. His sax phone's sound has a great presence. These years, I like his music very much.



It is a photo of Asa-fuji. Asa means "morning".

李白 (Li Po)

Yesterday I bought a book about 李白(Rihaku in Japanese, Li Po in English) who was a poet in China in 8th century. He is very famous in Japan too. I prefer 杜甫(Toho in Japanese, Tu Fu in English) but I enjoyed 李白's poems very much. Toho is also very famous in Japan. Toho was affected by Zen buddhism, as I recall.



Some Rihaku's poems like a travel. I can imagine many sights in China. I loved to read 三国志(Sangokushi in Japanese) when I was a junior high school student. Sangokushi would be translated to Three Kingdom Saga in English. 李白 often travel where I know the name and history from Three Kingdom Saga and the sight he made me to feel is really nice.



His poems I translated.



"A poem at Kei county."



A strong wind blows up around Hakutei castle.

The water surface, rippling.

No one try to run through prestigious choke point, Kutou-canyon on May.

In the season, oats ripens, silkworm becomes moth.

I spin a thread, yearning the man (who has gone away to the canyon).

But,

my heart is all in pieces.

Cuckoo eagerly flies, singing (saying "Don't go away!").

I'm lovesick, concerning her.



"Travel to Kou, arriving where, so far a way."



I ship and go to Go-so.

The ship is deluxe, very large, over 120 yards.

Strong wind blows up sail.

At the fall of night,

I arrived one place, thousands miles from where I was.

I drank when I said good bye,

but I still don't get sober.

However, I've become a stranger.

I lonely for you, I can't meet you.

I have a view of Chang Jiang in my heart in sadness.



I also buy a book explaining about English honorifics. I found I use brusque English expressions. If I upset you, I'm very sorry. I'll learn about honorifics little bit at a time. Please be patient. Please wait in patience.



Last night I ate Sushi at department store in my city. I ordered Chirashi zushi and Kanpachi and Kohada(spotted shad). The Kohada was not delicious. Kohada is one of cheepest sushi menu. But it is said sushi chef who make very delicious Kohada is great sushi chef. That is, I tested him. Because his sushi always is not delicious. The Kohada tasted very bad. Kohada is pickling in vinegar sushi.



My friend who is traveling Hokkaido in Japan sent me a photo what she was eating in a restaurant where I ate raw fishes last winter. I feel envious. We can't eat such delicious and freshest raw fishes in Tokyo. I'll go there to eat again! Since I ate raw fish at Otaru in Hokkaido, Japan, I became not to able to enjoy raw fishes in Tokyo. I ate four or five peaces of tuna-raw-fish at the restaurant in Otaru. It costed me to 700 yen, $6 or so but I guess it would cost me at least 5,000 yen, $40 or so in Ginza, Tokyo and it would not more delicious than it I ate. I must visit Otaru again!!! I eat it until I die! I eat it even if I die!



Have a wonderful life with freshest sushi.



I took the photo at Yasukuni shrine.

Kosei 360 about American music.

Who is your favorite singer? My favorite singer is Billy Joel. My home tutor gave me a cassette tape of Billy Joel when I was 14 years old, and I became his fan. When I was 15 years old, I shook hand with him at Osaka castle hall in Japan, but left hand when he was singing "Tell her about it" or "Up town girl". The guest musician was Bon Jovi.



Unfortunately, I couldn't go his concert in Tokyo last year. But I saw it on TV last week. It was so nice concert and I lost track of time. I found he got very old. He looks like old man now. It is time flies like an arrow which means 光陰矢の如し(Kouin ya no gotoshi) in Japanese. This is a saying of China.



"Honesty" is his most popular song in Japan. A coffee company use the song for CM 20 years ago or so, and he got fans in Japan. When I became his fan, his latest song was "We didn't start the fire".



I found he was playing the piano with his fanny like I saw him doing it 17 years ago. He sang many nice songs and I know all of the songs.



My friend's favorite singer was Elton John. I often talked about their songs. One day we discuss about which one is more handsome. I said Elton John is more handsome and my friend agreed. But we found that the comparing is low-level comparing. haha. I often sing "Your song" at Karaoke as well.



It is a little bit funny but I loved to listen to Motley Crew when I was a high school student. I said about it to one family who were a host family for my home stay seems to be astonished by my bent. :-) It was so called L.A metal's age. I liked "Doctor feel good", "Kick start my heart." etc.



Several days ago, I bought MAROON 5's new album. This is quite cool. I think they've become better musicians than they used to be. I think new one wouldn't be bigger hit album than first one but I'm sure the quality of sounds become better.



Speaking of Rock Music. Eric Clapton is called as God of guitar in Japan. Is it same in America? I also used to listen his songs on my school road.



Speaking of Clapton. I prefer true Blues musicians to Clapton's blues. Robert Johnson is called as God of Blues in Japan. Is it same in America? Even now, sometimes I listen to old blues, for example, Hound Dog Tayler, Lightning Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, etc. I'm not sure about their spelling of names. As to non African-Americans, I used to listen Paul Batter Field Blues Band, Johnny Winter etc.



To change the subject, Jaco Pastorius is so cool eh? Sometimes I see his new album even now in Japan. :-) I've forgot why he has died. Well, he has killed by a junky? I also used to listen to Wether Report. I prefer his solo recorded record to Wether Report.



I do love Funk-Jazz. Herbie Hancock is my favorite Jazz musician. My favorite his album is "Man Child". "Hang up your hang ups" is my favorite number.



As to common Jazz, hmm, I like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, etc. I've sold many CDs but I think I bought more than a thousand CDs so far. Now I have only 400 CDs or so.



As to rest, I like Deep Forest, Prince, Brian Mcknight, etc. Too many to remember their names.



Well, this week, I saw Bill Clinton on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. I wanted to see him playing the sax phone. Once he discussed with Japanese people in Japan. He looks very great and I admired him. How is Monica these days? I don't know what she has become after the book. A Japanese woman asked Clinton, saying "Did you apologize to your wife and daughter?". Clinton said "Yes, I did.". The woman became a woman in the news in Japan. haha.



I wish you have a great weekend.



I took the photo at Koukuu-Kouen park.

Mac and VAIO etc.

I bought VAIO several days ago. I think you know VAIO is SONY's computer. I bought an iPod-nano and Canon's printer along the way. Basically, I always use Mac's PowerBook G4, I do like this one. I have been using Mac's ones. I used Japanese computers when I was a kid though.



To me, PowerBook is superior to VAIO. The VAIO costed me only about $1,200 and PowerBook I use costed me about $2,500. But The PowerBook is a model in 2004. The VAIO is the latest model. This SONY's one has several disturbing troubles. Very heat-sensitive, cranky VISTA, bugs, SONY's logo(I don't like this) etc. And basically, SONY's products are breakable.



The iPod-nano is quite good. I bought black one, 8GB. I go down why iPod won against Walkman. iPod make me to feel something futuristic. I guess iPod mini's, I used to use, battery is not cutting-edge. I was astonished by the battery performance. However, the iPod-mini has something to which make me to content. Current Walkman is just a music player. iPod is also too, but iPod has something different. Maybe, it is image. When I listen to music with Walkman and Panasonic's player, it is just music. But when with iPod, it is music with something. iTune would be one of the reasons but I mention about added value that image.



This time, I intended to buy Panasonic's Let's Note. But the price was not reasonable to me because I do most of all jobs with Macs. I just do something Mac doesn't has stronger point. I also installed Windows XP in my PowerBook but it doesn't work well.



I heard that Panasonic bring Let's Note to American market this year. This one is better than any VAIOs and any other Japanese computers. It is most brilliant rap top series in Japan. Very tough, very light, very thin, good waterproof property. And consistency between electron elements are very good, that is Let's Note is very Japanese product.　I would buy Mac-book-pro, but I would buy a Let's Note if I buy Windows computer again.



I heard many Japanese company's cutting-edge products weren't sold in America because there are not many middle class people. When I comes to think of it, as I recall, I haven't seen Japan's cutting edge products in America. It seems SONY also sells cheaper VAIO in America. As to VIdeo camera, it seems also too. Mine is been sold in America now. It is C series. I don't know much about American market though, many say they don't see Japan's latest products in America. MIddle class people bring up Japan's products as customers.



Well, to get back to my original point, Apple's products are really good. That Apple still survive in market is amazing and understandable because Apple has futuristic brand-image and Japanese makers can't build such a futuristic brand image. I admire brand images of iPod, iMac, iTune etc. And the "futuristic idea" is that Japanese companies can't win against America. It would not change forever. I know what Japanese are. :-)



It seems many Koreans think Japanese don't develop inventive products. But they are wrong. In age of Imperial Japan, Japanese developed Dry battery, radar etc. In this age, Japanese made a lot of inventive products. Floppy Disk, CD, DVD, Hybrid Engine are also too. But Japanese would not invent something on an epic proportion. I think Chinese people are better than Japanese in that regard. As to radar and dry battery, Japanese people didn't come up with manner of operation for them. It is said one of the reason is that Japanese people think it is impossible Japanese to develop superior thing. :-)



In addition, according to my friend who run a company in South Korea, that Korean people are wrong is their education system. Even university students memorize what they have to think while Japanese university students think what they have to think. My friend said even graduate students of liberal arts memorize texts in Korea. It would be an affection by too much Confucianism education. SAMSUNG live life to the extreme now but it makes what Japanese companies developed, for example TOSHIBA. Panasonic's president said SAMSUNG still is not Japan's rival. To put it the other way around, there is potential. My Korean friend said that he understands the difference between image toward to Japan in Korea and the fact but he may get beaten up if he mention about Japan's superiority in Korea. I've seen several cases that Korean medias and people heated up about it on internet. I suppose Korean people need to change what they are something fundamentally if they want to be superior country to Japan.



I guess Chinese people may invent something very competitive in future. There are many people and they have invented many things in their history. I don't know how westerner regard Chinese civilization. But I can't say European civilization is superior to Chinese civilization about invention. Someone said when we see cultural legacy, we can valuate country's capability. I understand why VIetnam is developing. They are earnest and deft. I think you understand why Indians are good with computers. I understand why Spain and Portugal were replaced by England etc. It would be team-work. Anyway, I look forward to China invent something great.



Well, anyway, Apple is great. :-) I will being a Mac-user for ever, at leat until Steve Jobs die.



Well, I should lay down my pen. It is midnight in Japan.



Have a nice weekend.



I took the photo at Koku-Koen park in Tokorozawa city.

Walk, Reading and Watching.

When I woke up this morning, I found that it is rainy day today. I changed my clothes and went to take a walk at a park, 航空公園(Koukuu-Kouen-park) where I often take a walk.



Green leaves, big trees, sound of rain drops were really nice. Trees enjoyed blessed rain and I enjoyed the bountiful nature. The park is an artificial material though. I felt I regained what I am.



I do love to take a walk in the rain in the season of green leaves. Fresh looking leaves, sound of raindrops falling on leaf soil, falling on new green leaves, falling on my umbrella, sounds of leaves swaying in the breeze. What a beautiful world.



Ducks were taking a walk at the park in the rain. I wanted to take a walk with them but as always they run a way from me because I don't have any food for them. Once, when I was taking a walk at the park with me having breads, they, good number of ducks gathered around me there was no room to run a way from them, and they said "GUWA!GUWA!(Give me the bread!)" and reluctantly I gave breads to them. They are big eaters. They have no inhibitions. I've given all breads to them. It was my breakfast..... It was an extortion case! :-) GUWAGUWA is a word to express voice of Duck in Japanese.



I dropped in a city library in the park. I read NewsWeek, a book about steel industry and 永平広録(Eihei kouroku) of 道元(Dougen, Dogen). I wanted to read some book about agricultural industry but I couldn't find it. I wanted to know about potato culture as a measure to combat global warming. To make starch, Potato consume much carbonic anhydride. I guess it might be a business. That's why I searched some book. And, it is sure the library's collections are not good. I need to go to a library of university, I think. Maybe, I can find about it at a library for science course students of university I graduated and found a book on internet but the library is far a way from where I am now.



永平広録(Eihei Kouroku) is a representative book of Dogen. Dogen is a founder of Japanese Soto-sect. It is Zen buddhism. I used to read this book when I was a student. What Dogen said is very racial. Onday, a student asked about supernatural powers of Buddha, saying "What is the super natural power of capacity of hearing of Buddha?". It is said Buddha can hear everything. Dogen clicked his fingers and said this is the super natural power. It meant there is no super natural thing and super natural thing exist like that. I didn't read the part today though.



I watched a TV program ex-prime minister Nakasone Yasuhiro talked about East Asia Community whose axis is relation between China and Japan. Already China and Japan agreed with the plan and ASEAN welcomes the plan. Last few months, We become to able to image the relationship in this region and it become the biggest economic community in the world. Absolutely, this region become the centre of the world in this century　as long as China and Japan have good relations with each other. That China become larger country than EU, America and Japan is historical inevitability. I felt the world is changing.

It reminds me my father said "China is Tiger sleeping and is waking up now and become largest country.".



By Chinese government showed they think Japan as important country for their development and accept Japan's position, and by Abe saw about relationship, we could confirm fundamental direction of China and Japan. America would role as a balancer of military balance in this region. Samuel Phillips Huntington who is a professor of Harvard University said Japan would become an alliance partner of China in his book. If America back off from this region, America will have become smaller country than now but it is also impossible. America is important country for trade. Japan, China, America, these countries role balancers each other. I think VIetnam would also become a good balancer for Japan. I think we can catch our breath now.



I often think my thought is similar to Chinese thought. I know the why. It is simple. I studied Buddhism. Samuel Phillips Huntington said Japanese culture is different from China. To be exact, we share some part of culture. Some of our DNA is from China. But I think Huntington's view is right to some extent. When we regard Japan as a civilization, it is become easy to understand what Japanese are. I think I can regard there are two civilizations in this region and smaller one, Japan, was affected by bigger one. Huntington also said Japan's country is the civilization itself. Japanese race is the civilization itself. Maybe, yes. But I think maybe Japan should be called as satellite civilization of China. But I also think Japan has too much originality as a satellite civilization. "I don't know.". This was a pet phrase of my teacher. :-)



In pre-modern age, our economy system was similar to current economy system. And it seems it is regard as an evidence that Japan is civilization. Also there were vulture funds. I want to mention about it someday.



Well, What about did I wrote today? I forgot. But it seems I wrote about walk and book I found and TV program etc.



Have a extra wonderful sunday!



Tigers are on a losing streak. They lost last 7 games. I shouldn't use the word which begins from F even in this situation?



I took the photo at Koukuu kouen Park today with my mobile phone.

Names

I found some English names which has some meanings so far and I can translate them into Japanese names. I know those are just a name and it is same as Japanese but it has some image and I think English name too.



Clint Eastwood, Bush, White, Brown, Is your name has some meaning?



Eastwood:



It is 東木(Higashigi or Togi) in Japanese. I haven't seen these names in Japan. 東 means East, wood means 木 in Japanese.



Bush:



It is 林(Hayashi), 草叢(Kusamura) or 萩(Hagi), I think. Hayashi is popular name in Japan. Hagi is name of place too. And 林 is also a Chinese name.



White is 白(Shiro, Haku). Brown is 茶(Cya, Sa). King is 王(oh) in Japanese and this is Chinese name.



According to Wiki, there are 270 thousand family names in Japan. In Korea it is 250 names. In China, 4,700 names. 1,500 thousand family names in America.



As to Japanese family names, 小泉(Koizumi) means small fountain (spring). 豊田(TOYOTA) means rIch rice field. 本田（HONDA) means,,,hmm,,, 田 means rice field and other corp field but this 本(hon) is a bit difficult. It means Origin, Book etc. 松田(MAZDA, Matsuda) means filed where pines are cultivated. NISSAN is just a company name. Are there any company name which is famous in your country? Hmm,, MITSUBISHI is also just a company name. Oh, HYUNDAI(現代) means modern age. This is not Japanese company but they use Kanji. 現代 sounds Gendai in Japanese. Oh, SAMSUNG (三星) means three stars. It would sounds Sansei or Mitsuboshi in Japanese.



It is Golden week but I caused eyestrain. I think I need to take a walk at park, seeing green leaves. I'll translate names if you want.



Have a nice weekend.



I took the photo at Koku-koen-park. The flowerbed is made by students.